Production of ammonia



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN COLLINS CLANCY, OF NIAGARA FALLS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE NITRO-GEN CORPORATION, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, A CORPORATION OF RHODEISLAND.

PRODUCTION OF AMMONIA.

No Drawing. Original application filed March 23. 19 filed January 14,1920.

72) all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I. Jonix (oLnms CLANCY, a citizen of the United States,re; siding at Niagara Falls, in the county of Niagara and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in theProduction of Ammonia. of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the process of producing ammonia from itselements through the agency of cyanamids as catalytic agents therefor,which process is particularly described and pointed out in the followingspecification and claims.

l have discovered that if a gaseous mixture containing nitrogen andhydrogen is passed in contact with a suitable metal cyanamid or mixtureof such cyanamids, the nitrogen and hydrogen of said gaseous mixture mayhe. caused to unite to form ann monia: said cyanamid or cyananridsacting catalytically in the reaction.

For example. calcium cyanamid. or potassium cyanamid, or sodium cyanamidanswers well the purpose of the process; aml when another suitable metalcyanamid. such as one of those hereinafter referred to. is mixed withthe first, the production of ane monia may be caused to take place at alower tennwrature. while the velocity of ammonia production isaccelerated.

The number of said cyanamids in the mixture obviously need not belimited to two. Thus, by way of illustration:

mixture composed of manganese cyanamid, cobalt cyanamid and sodiumcyanamid may constitute the catalytic agent, such agent being preparedby usmg the following proportions, by weight: sodium yanamid 1 parts;manganese cyanamid Ill parts: cobalt cyanamid ltl parts. The wholemixture is then intimatelymixed with Htl parts of granular charcoal; thecharcoal acting as a support for the. catalytic agent. With a catalytleagent so prepared, nitrogen and hydrogen may be made to combine with theproduction of ammonia at a tempcrature of 500 to (100" and at a pressureircttwably less than lUU atmospheres.

It will be understood that the invention is not limited to the. exactmaterials given by way of exemplilication nor to the proporlions sogiven.

lo carrying my invention into practice Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 7, 1920.

16, Serial No. 86.078. Divided and this application Serial-No. 351,361.

for the production of ammonia, about M0 grams of the immediately abovementioned catalytic mixture is placed in a catalytic chamber suitablefor anunoma synthesis and there is passed in contact with such catalyzera gas current preferably containing one volume of nitrogen and threevolumes of hydrogen. \\'ith a pressure of gas traw ersing the chamberwithin a range of 25 to ion atmospheres and at a temperature oftreatment approximating (300 C. I have1'65 obtained synthetic ammonia tothe extent that the ammonia gas leaving the treating chamber constitutedup to it) per cent. by volume of the total gas leaving the treatingchamber: this percentage varying upon varying the pressure. The ammoniais removed from the gas discharged from the treating chamber in anysuitable manner.

The present case is a division of my application entitled. lroduction ofammonia, Se rial No. Rt'ntlTH, liled March .23, llllti.

Having thus described .my invention, what I claim is:

l. The process of producing ammonia which comprises passing a heatedgaseous mixture containing nitrogen and hydrogen under high pressure incontact with a cat alytic agent which comprises a cyanamid compositionin which manganese is included as a baseacting constituent.

2. The process of producing ammonia which comprises syntheticallycombining nitrogen and hydrogen by means of pressure. heat and acatalytic agent which in cludcs a cyanamid which comprises mangancsc asan element thereof.

Cl. The process of )rodncing ammonia which comprises syntllelicallycombining nitrogen and lrvdrogcn by means of pres sure. heat and acyauamid containing composition in which manganese is present.

4. The process of producing ammonia which comprises synthetically eombln'ing nitrogen and hydrogen by means of pressure. heat and a cyanamidcontaining composition in which manganese is present intimatelyassociated with an alkalinous metal.

In testimony whereof l have allixed my rcsence of two witnesses.

signature in the p .I()llt (OLlIlNS tLANCY. W, sest

